Ron Ayers

Ronald Frederick Ayers (11 April 1932 – 29 May 2024) was an English engineer who was responsible for the aerodynamics of the land speed record-holding vehicles, ThrustSSC and JCB Dieselmax, and was Chief Aerodynamicist for the Bloodhound SSC.

Background Born in Westminster, London, England, on 11 April 1932, Ayers developed an interest during the Blitz.

Ayers was a Chartered Engineer and a member of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to engineering.

Ayers died on 29 May 2024, at the age of 92. Through a combination of rocket sled testing at Pendine Sands and extensive computational fluid dynamics testing, Ayers was able to develop and refine a shape which would eventually go on to break the sound barrier. He was heavily involved in the design of the current land speed record attempt vehicle, the Bloodhound SSC.

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